A Sacrifice To Stop
by gleek-lw
Summary: When Pythagoras is in danger, Jason and Hercules have to save him. Will they have a happy ending?


Here is my first story for Atlantis so I'm a little bit stressed.

I started to watch Atlantis this week and I have to say I love this show. And Jagoras... well it's a new OTP for me. I already read almost all of the Jagoras fics but I'm not satisfied. I want more, so I decided to write one.

English isn't my mother tongue so I'm sorry in advance for the mistakes. I tried to correct myself but I don't know if I saw every mystake.

And now, enjoy!

* * *

Today was like an other day at Atlantis. Sun was here and the citizens were outside working or shoping. In a house, a man grumbled when he found there was nothing to eat or to drink. This man was Hercules. He started to complain, not happy to have nothing to eat. An other man was leaning over a table, working on triangles. He was so much focused on his working that he didn't hear his friend. Hercules noticed his inattention and came closer. Then he hit the table with a hand, stopping the man in his work. This man was named Pythagoras and he suddenly jumped.

«Listen to me instead of thinking about your triangles, Pythagoras. There are nothing to eat.»

«And is it a reason to bother me, Hercules?»

«Yes!» The older man exclaimed.

«What's happening?» A third voice asked.

The two men turned around to see Jason coming. The young man probably just finished to get ready, and now, he came to know about the reason about Hercules' scream. Pythagoras went back to his work whereas Hercules explained to Jason the problem. At the end of the explanation, Jason seemed to be amused.

«We just have to go to buy some food», Jason answered.

Hercules paused for some seconds before starting to speak again.

«That's what I was going to tell.»

Jason turned towards Pythagoras, wanting to exchange an amused smile, but his smile softened when he saw the younger man focused on his triangles.

«What are we waiting for? Come on! Hercules exclaimed starting to go without waiting for the two men.»

The young hero shocked his head and sighed. Hercules will always stay the same. He looked at the younger man.

«Pythagoras!» He called.

He waited to have Pythagoras' attention before asking him if he wanted to go with them.

«No. Go out without me.»

Jason acquiesced and left. He found Hercules outside of their home, waiting for them. Noticing the question in his eyes, Jason shook his head.

«Pythagoras and his triangles», Hercules whispered.

The two friends left their home to go to the market. They didn't notice two dark eyes looking at them.

* * *

Hercules and Jason took more time than they had thought to buy food. They returned to home two hours after. However, when they approached their home, Jason stopped Hercules from walking. He showed him the door of their house, which was slightly open. They frowned and Hercules started to talk.

«Maybe Pythagoras went out and forgot to close the door.»

Jason looked at his friend but said nothing. He really hoped Hercules was right. He hoped nothing had happened to the mathematician. However they lost hope when they went in. One thought a tornado had come in their house. Everything was on the floor, broken or throwed. But the worse for them was that there wasn't any sign of Pythagoras.

«Pythagoras!» Jason shouted.

He ran toward Pythagoras' room, his heart in his throat.

Hercules started to follow him when he noticed something on the floor. He went down to observe the red stain. He didn't need to touch it to know it was blood. With great difficulties, he called his friend. Jason came and Hercules showed him what he just found.

«Blood.»

Jason went pale when his eyes looked at the dark stain. Hercules saw him swallow with difficulties.

«That's Pythagoras' blood», the young man murmured.

«We don't know, Jason. Maybe it's the agressor's one.»

Jason glared at Hercules. But the older man could see fear in his friend's eyes.

«We have to find him, Hercules. We're going to ask to the neighbors if they saw or heard something.»

Without letting Hercules answer, Jason left. Hercules let him leave and sighed. The man who had attacked Pythagoras was in trouble.

* * *

After some hours of research, Hercules thought that wasn't a good idea. Nobody had seen or heard something. And it was a little bit unsettling. Somebody holding a body should have been noticed! But it wasn't the case. And now Hercules didn't know what to do now. They had no lead.

He watched Jason pace up and down with restlessness. He knew Jason was worried. Himself was worried. But he had never seen Jason so worried, even when it was about Ariadne. And Hercules had a little idea of the reason why. Even if Jason didn't speak about that, the two men had a special bound. They knew each other for some months now but it was as if they knew each other for years. Jason and Pythagoras were more than just friends. Pythagoras took care of Jason when Jason was hurt, and Jason protected Pythagoras everytime. Some people could think they consider themselves as brothers. But Hercules was with them everyday. He noticed a lot of things about them. Some looks or conversations were too much to be considered like friendly. And Hercules wasn't an idiot like some people could think.

But he said nothing, wanting for his friends to notice by themselves. And like one said, interfering in love affair was a source of troubles.

«Can you stop please?» Hercules asked.

Jason stopped and glared at the older man.

«We have to find Pythagoras before...»

«I know, Jason, but nobody has seen something. We have no lead. I don't like waiting but if you don't have an other idea, it's better...»

Jason cut Hercules with a yell.

«I just got one! The Oracle will probably know where Pythagoras is.»

Without letting time for Hercules to answer, Jason started to run towards the temple of Poseidon. Hercules couldn't do nothing except following him. He grumbled and started to run too. They got to their destination quickly and got inside of the temple. They went to look for the Oracle and they found her kneeling in front of a bowl filled with water. She heard them and turned around to watch them. Hercules suddenly stopped. It was the first time he was looking at the Oracle. Usually, the citizens saw her back. He came back at his senses when she asked why they came.

«My friend Pythagoras was taken today but nobody has seen something. We need your help. Can you tell us where he is?»

«If the Gods allow me», the woman said before looking at her bowl.

Her fingers caressed the water and she focused on her vision. Hercules and Jason moved closer. They said nothing, waiting for The Oracle's answer with impatience.

«Your friend is in great danger.»

«What?» The two friends yelled at the same time.

The Oracle looked at them, a serious expression on her face.

«My vision wasn't clear but I saw your friend has been taken to the Temple Of the Death.»

Hercules gasped, shocked by the answer. Jason looked at him, not understanding the expression on Hercules' face. But he got a bad feeling.

«You have to hurry because I'm afraid when the moon will be high in the sky, the blood will flow.»

Jason frowned and thanked the Oracle before leaving. Hercules just started to follow him when the Oracle stopped him by her words.

«Your friend can't die tonight», she told him.

Hercules frowned. They won't let Pythagoras be killed!

«The Gods let me see what will be happening if your friend comes to die. And it's not good.»

«I don't wish for the death of Pythagoras.»

«If Pythagoras comes to die tonight, Jason's heart will be lost», the Oracle warned him.

The Oracle stood up and moved closer Hercules, still looking at him.

«You know about the bound between Pythagoras and Jason. Jason is a good man, a hero, but he's still a man. As much he's strong and brave, his heart still remains weak when it's about human emotions. The lose of Pythagoras will weaken him so much that tentations will be too strong for him. The blood that will flow this night, will be a source of horror and tragedy.»

Hercules and the Oracle looked at each other, a loud silence settling. The words that the Oracle just said were so heavy that Hercules could feel them in his heart. He understood the message that the Oracle wanted to tell him. So he promised to do anything to prevent what she had seen in her vision.

«Hercules!» Jason yelled.

The called man jumped and, after a last look towards the woman, he moved to find his friend that was waiting for him outside of the temple. He stayed silent, The Oracle's words repeating in his mind.

«What did the Oracle tell you?» The younger man asked, worried by his friend's silence.

«Nothing of importance. She just warns me about the dangers in the forest.»

«What are you talking about?»

Hercules remembered Jason was ignorant about Atlantis and its culture.

«Have you already heard about the Temple of the Death ?»

Jason shook his head.

«The Temple of the Dead is a cursed place. One says that some years ago, this temple housed disciples of Hades, the God of the Underworld. It was just a rumor but Atlantis citizens were hit by a deadly sickness. So they decided to see if the rumors were true because some people thought it was those disciples that brought this sickness. They found the temple... and its disciples. It was the disciples of the god Hades. The citizens decided to kill everybody and they let their corpses to rotten. Some times after, the sickness left. The temple became a cursed place. One says now some human sacrifices are comitted in this temple.»

Jason swallows at the end of the story. He already had heard scary stories since he was here, but this one was a little bit gloomy.

«But it means...,» he started to say, understanding what Hercules wanted to say.

Hercules nodded.

«If Pythagoras has been brought there, I fears it's because his agressor wants to sacrifice him.»

Jason frowned.

«We have to hurry! We have until midnight to find Pythagoras. Do you know where the temple is?»

«I think. I have a little idea.»

«Great. Come on, we have to go get some stuff before leaving.»

Jason and Hercules started to run towards their home. They had to hurry.

* * *

In a dark and cold place, Pythagoras whimpered and regained conscious. After some minutes, he managed to open his eyes but with difficulty. His head was hurting and he put his hand where he thought it was the most hurtful. He came in contact with dried blood. Blood which probably came from an injury. He whimpered again when he tried to stand up slowly and ignored the nausea. It was not the time to start being sick.

Then he looked around him, hoping to know where he was. He was in a dark place and only lighted by the sun. There was nothing in the room, except a small door and a small opening in a wall, too high and too small to use as a way-out.

He didn't recognize the room and it bothered him. He tried to remember how he could be here, but his only memories were about Jason and Hercules leaving in order to buy food and a crash. He sighed. His friends will be worried, especially Jason. Since their mission at Helios, Jason was more protective with him.

«Jason», he whispered.

At the first, it had bothered him when he had noticed Jason's protectiveness. He hadn't been in a good mood and noticing this protectiveness had really unsettled him. But one night, when he couldn't sleep, Jason had talked with him.

_Flash-back_

_Pythagoras sat under the window, looking at the dark sky of the night. The moon illuminated his body but he didn't care. He was focused on his thoughts and his memories. He couldn't sleep since their mission at Helios. Usually it was because of the memories of this night where he had accidentally killed his father. But this night, it was different. This night, he couldn't stop from thinking about what happened this day._

_They had a mission, but like most of their missions, they were attacked. And like everytime, Jason and Hercules bravely fought while Pythagoras tried to help them with a big stick. He saw Hercules was in danger and he didn't stop to think about helping him. He grabbed his stick with a solid grip and hit with all his strenght one of the bandits. Unfortunately this hit just managed to get the bandit angry. The bandit turned around and glared at Pythagoras. The blond man swallowed and was suddenly thrown. He fell and yelled._

_The bandit came closer and brandished his sword. Pythagoras swallowed, wondering if it was the end for him. The bad man raised his sword when he suddenly stopped, pain settling on his features. Then he fell and didn't move. He was dead. _

_Pythagoras saw everything and looked up to see Jason before him, a sword in his hands._

_«You okay?» The hero asked._

_«Thanks to you.»_

_Jason smiled at him and helped him to stand up._

_«Stay behind me», Jason said before returning to the fight._

_Pythagoras didn't know what to say and stayed behind the hero, watching him fight._

_The mathematician was broken of his thoughts when somebody settled down in front of him. This somebody was Jason and he looked at him with worry in his eyes. Pythagoras felt his heart tighten in his chest._

_«Everything is okay Pyth?»_

_The man called Pyth felt his heart accelering at the use of the nickname Jason used since some days._

_«I don't understand», the blond whispered._

_Jason looked at him, not understanding._

_«What don't you understand?»_

_Pythagoras sighed and turned his head to look at the stars in the sky._

_«I don't understand why you try so much to protect me, even if you put yourself in danger.»_

_«You're my friend, Pyth. I don't want for something to happen to you. It's normal, don't you think?»_

_The younger man shook his head._

_«I'd tell you yes before, but since... Helios, you became more... protective if I could say. But I don't understand and it really bothers me.»_

_Nothing else was said for a moment then Jason sighed._

_«Look at me, Pyth.»_

_The smaller man raised his head and he saw Jason looking at him with a intense look. Jason knelt before him to be closer and put his hands on Pythagoras' shoulders._

_«I almost lost you, Pyth. This day, in this cave, I almost lost you and... it scared me.»_

_Pythagoras' jaw dropped. He hadn't expected this answer when he asked this question._

_«So I swore to protect you more than I already do, because I don't want to lose you.»_

_Pythagoras' heart accelerated. Jason didn't know how much his words touched him. Jason wasn't just a simple friend for him. He was more than that, but he didn't dare to confess. To not lose him._

_Suddenly, he was pulled to a standing position, by Jason._

_«Come on. It's time to go to bed. You need to sleep.»_

_Pythagoras quietly followed him but his heart was so grateful._

_Flash-back_

A noise got him outside of his thoughts. This noise came from outside of his cell. He stared at the door, waiting. Some minutes after, the door was opened and a man came in. This man wasn't young anymore, he probably was in his fifties, but he seemed to be in a good health. His brown eyes fixed upon him with a dark look while the man came closer. The cold smile made Pythagoras shiver.

«I see you're awake.»

«Who are you? And what do you want with me?» Pythagoras asked, standing up on his feet.

«My name is Leandros and if you're here, it's for a great reason.»

Pythagoras swallowed. He didn't like what the man just said.

«This night, a sacrifice will happen. And this sacrifice will be you.»

The young man went pale. He had already heard of stories about human sacrifices, but knowing he will be the sacrifice...

«Why me?»

Leandros kept looking at him.

«The God Hades asks for a pure soul in exchange for the soul of my daughter. I looked for the best soul and I found you.»

The older man took great delight in seeing the fear in the mathematician's blue eyes.

«And now we have to get you ready. Guards!»

Pythagoras didn't get immediately what Leandros just said, but when he understood, it was too late. Two guards caught him and the older man moved closer. With a hand, he closed Pythagoras' noise, forcing him to breath with his mouth. Then he poured the liquid of a small vial in Pythagoras' mouth and forced him to swallow. The young man winced at the taste and started to cough.

«What did you force me to drink?» He asked.

He already started to feel weaker. The guards dropped him and Leandros got down beside him.

«This, my young friend, is a potion to weaken you and to keep you from doing anything before time. It won't kill you. And now, you should sleep a bit.»

Leandros suddenly hit Pythagoras. The young man lost conscious. Leandros stared at him for a moment and left, his guards following him.

* * *

The night already was present for a moment and Hercules and Jason hadn't still reached the Temple of the Death. That worried them because they knew they didn't have much time now. Jason hurried while Hercules begged the gods to not come too late. Then, finally, they saw light. They followed this light for some minutes then they saw a temple. This temple had been damaged by the time but the small fires coming from its showed them that there was life in there. Two guards were at the entrance. It wasn't the guards of the palace of the king, it was probably just some men a rich man had paid for this work.

«I think we found the temple», Hercules whispered.

Jason and him were hidding behind trees in order to scout the area.

«We have to get in. We don't have much time anymore.»

Hercules rolled his eyes. It became Jason's favorite sentence since some hours now.

Before leaving, Hercules and Jason had took some stuff, included weapon. They had their swords and Jason wore his armor. They managed very quickly to beat the two guards and got in the temple. They immediately felt a cold pierce them.

«Stories were true», Hercules whispered. «This place is cursed.»

Jason didn't answer and quietly walked. Hercules followed him, throwing worried looks around him. They stopped at the entrance of an other room, but what they saw shocked them.

The room wasn't large but it was the most terrifying.

There were skeletons of human bones at each corner of the room. Flames lightened them, making them more scaring. All of the skulls were looking towards the same point. This point was the center of the room. And at the center of this room, there was a stele which a strange language was carved. And Pythagoras was laid on this stele. He didn't have his clothes. He wore instead a long and white toga. His hands and his feet were tied with rope, and the rope was tied to big copper rings, each ring at each corner of the stele.

But the two men were more upset by Pythagoras' paleness. He was too pale and he wasn't awake.

Beside the stele was a man. It was Leandros. He held a dagger in his hands and seemed to pray. His eyes were closed. Behind him, there were four men. Guards.

«Stop!» Jason yelled moving closer.

Hercules swore. He thought Jason would think before acting, but it wasn't the case.

«What an idiot», Hercules murmured following Jason.

Leandros opened his eyes and saw them. With just a smile on his lips, he moved his head towards them. The four guards started to run towards the two friends. Jason and Hercules started to fight, thinking it will be as easy as with the two guards outside. But they were wrong. The four guards were strong. They fought for some minutes already when Hercules noticed Leandros just finished his prayer.

«JASON!» He yelled. «Go protect Pythagoras. I'll take care of the guards.»

Jason nodded and, after avoiding an attack, ran towards the stele. He accelerated when he saw the man look at Pythagoras and smile before starting to lower the dagger.

«NO»! Jason screamed.

The young hero used his sword to block the dagger just in time. Then, with a strenght coming from anger and fear, Jason pushed back the dagger and Leandros. The older man had to step backwards to not fall. Jason jumped over the stele and fell between Pythagoras and the man who wanted to sacrifice him.

«I won't let you kill him!» Jason roared.

The man sneered and thrown himself to Jason with a despair that only men thinking it was over had. Jason blocked him quickly and stabbed him with his sword. Leandros winced and fell down. Two seconds later, he died. Jason sighed and turned back to the stele. He cut the rope keeping Pythagoras prisoner then he brought him against him and lifted him in his arms. He sat down and looked at the mathematician with worry. Pythagoras' head lifeless fell against his shoulder.

«Pyth, wake up. It's me. Jason. You're safe now.»

Jason's worry increased when the smaller man didn't wake up.

«Pythagoras, wake up!»

Nothing. Jason felt a shadow on him and raised his head to see Hercules. The man stared at them with fear.

«He doesn't wake, Hercules!»

Hercules sat down beside them and took Pythagoras' hand.

«His heart is still beating, Jason. He's just unconscious.»

Jason swallowed then softly kissed the forehead of the man in his arms.

«We have to leave», Hercules announced.

«But it's dark outside and...»

«Jason, this place is cursed. We can't stay longer here. I would prefer to camp in the forest rather than stay here.»

The young man nodded and, with Hercules' help, he stood up, Pythagoras still in his arms. They left the temple and started to walk, Hercules in front of the group. They moved for about fifteen minutes before deciding to stop. While Hercules tried to light a fire, Jason settled Pythagoras down. Then he took a cover they had taken with them and covered Pythagoras with.

«Sleep,» Hercules said. «I'm standing guard.»

Jason trusted his friend and nodded. He laid down beside Pythagoras who still didn't wake. He looked at him for a moment before closing his eyes and starting to sleep.

* * *

It was after their return at Atlantis that Pythagoras woke up. The young man was confused to find himself in his room.

«I'm not dead?» He wondered.

«No, you're not dead», a soft voice answered.

He turned his head to see Jason at his side. The hero smiled at him and he relaxed.

«Jason? What... What happened?» He asked, trying to wet his dried lips.

Jason noticed and made him drink water before answering his question. He told him what happened in the Temple of the Dead and after this.

«I'm so glad to see you alive.»

Pythagoras weakly laughed.

«I'm glad too.»

Jason moved closer of the young man and put a hand where the mathematician's heart was beating.

«I would not have beared to lose you, Pythagoras.»

The blond just smiled while Jason breathed.

«In fact, these last events make me want to do that.»

And, without letting Pythagoras time to think, Jason kissed him. It was just a simple kiss, nothing more. Jason lifted his head and looked at Pythagoras with a little bit of fear in his eyes.

«I realized you're so dear to my heart, Pyth.»

«But... Ariadne? You love her.»

«I thought I loved her,» Jason corrected him. «But it's nothing compared at what I'm feeling for you. You have always been here for me, Pythagoras. I understood what I was feeling while our mission at Helios and I... I was afraid to tell you. But after what happened this night... I'd regret all my life if I'd have lost you without knowing if you love me or not.»

«Jason...»

«I'd understand if you don't feel the same thing and I...»

A hand on his cheek stopped him and Jason looked at Pythagoras who stared at him with a soft gaze.

«I love you too», the blond man said.

A big smile lightened Jason's features while the hero lowered hin head to catch Pythagoras' lips with his own ones. At first, it was just a simple kiss then they deepened the kiss while their hands started to move. They stayed like this for some minutes and they wouldn't move if they wasn't disturbed by a moan.

«By Gods», Hercules said. «It's the morning!»

The two men moved away and started to laugh while Jason stood up and helped Pythagoras to do the same thing.

Meanwhile, in a room of the temple of Poseidon, the Oracle stared at the bowl with a small smile.

The End

* * *

Thanks for reading :)


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